WARNING!
If You Are Making an eBook and Need an
eCover
For Your Book Here is Critical Information You
Need!
"eBook & eCover Generator"
(Updated 8/24/09)
Update:
The original review of the
product above is an old one. I am leaving the long version at the bottom
of the page for
posterity. I can't recommend this product AT ALL. It is just plain
awful & customer service was a joke. This is the old way of doing things
anyway. Seriously, these kinds of eBook generators and eCover generators
are going to generate a very low quality product and make YOU look bad. I
wouldn't even leave this review here except people are still searching for it
every day and I can't believe how bad the results are compared to doing things
the right way.
If you are going to
make an eBook these days make a PDF. That way it works on all kinds of
computers. Don't make an EXE that only works on PCs just because you want
to protect your software. When was the last time you bought an eBook that
was an executable instead of a PDF. Nuff said.
I also wish there
was a pushbutton eCover program for $27 or something that would just make these
AWESOME virtual book covers. Nope; they just make marginally acceptable,
non editable eCovers that look non professional when you size them especially.
For 2005 they were nice maybe, but look around it isn't 2005 any more.
If you are going to
look professional I think you have two choices for eBook covers (eCovers).
- Hire it done
from someone who uses
Photoshop
- Buy
Photoshop and
Cover
Action Pro 2 and learn to do it yourself. I know, I know.
It is expensive. But do you want to look professional or not.
If you are going to
make an eCover for an eBook, virtual CD, DVD or software box, I recommend
Cover Action
Pro 2.0
however it needs Photoshop to work since it is a set of macro/templates that you
load inside Photoshop CS2, CS3 or CS4. Photoshop Elements will NOT work.
You can look for a copy of Photoshop on eBay or get one at
PHOTOSHOP .
Of course you can do so much more than eCovers with Photoshop. Pretty much
ANY kind of graphics done for websites is done in Photoshop. It is a skill
worth developing.
There are other
stand alone eCover generators like the one in this review, however, NONE
of them have the flexibility of using Photoshop. Further the resolution is
only good enough for SMALL eBook Covers. If you make your ecovers big then
you are fighting the jaggies & they look like crap! That is just the truth.
I know this method
costs a LOT more money. Yes I know. I didn't want to do it either.
But after several attempts at lame eCover software programs & after hiring
someone to do one that NEVER produced the results, I realized it was time
to get a good eCover program & just be done. Remember it will cost you at
LEAST $40 & usually more like $100 to get someone else to do a SINGLE cover for you.
Over time you will save money.
Done. Thank You drive through.
__________________________________________________________
Old review continues
below if you are in need of a good laugh & are bored....
If
you've been thinking about how to market an ebook online you have probably run
across Armand Morin's eBook Generator & eCover Generator. You may have wondered does
this product live up to the expectations you may have?
Well, here's MY opinion: NOPE!
"C'mon Rex,
Everybody on the
internet is an affiliate selling Armand's products.
Listen,
I know that. He has a boatload of testimonials too. I don't know
what to tell you. Let me tell you MY story.
Back in February of 2005 I bought the
ebookgenerator against my better judgment. WHAT? What do you mean?
Well first of all go to the site
www.ebookgenerator.com. Now just TRY to buy the product there.
C'mon I DARE you. It can't be done! (Squeeze Page to farm your
email.) You HAVE to send off & get the
video even if you are already convinced that you want it. FURTHER if you
just want to read about the damn thing, you CAN'T. You have to send off &
get the video. Oh yes, you have to give 'em name & email to receive it!
OK so that is my first gripe. I never saw a marketer make a customer work
so hard to buy a product in all my life. (Update...of course this is common
place now)
OK quit yer griping...it was hard to
buy...so what?
Well then my friend, the REAL fun began
AFTER I bought it.
The download went smoothly. Got my
confirmation emails etc. Try to run the product & BLAM first thing.
It blows up. Icons go smashing across the tool bar at the top. About
46 contacts with customer support (I am only exaggerating slightly) & 3 months
later what do I have? NUTHIN'. It is STILL broke.
Have I asked for my money back? Nope. I was told they would fix
these things a MONTH ago & after all I DO want the product right or I wouldn't
have bought it? It has a TON of potential.
Anyway, customer support says they can't
reproduce the problem. In an effort to prove that it wasn't my machine I
have now installed it on multiple machines. I can't find a machine it
works on. Hmmmm.
A LOT of strange stuff going on here.
Check out this link. (Update..none of these links are functional anymore.)
http://www.netcustomerservice.com/esupport/index.php Notice how the #1
"Popular Knowledgebase Topic" is "How do I get the latest version of eBook
Generator. Hmmmmm. Now click on the DOWNLOADS button & you get to here...
http://www.netcustomerservice.com/esupport/index.php?_a=downloads
That takes you to the downloads of the tutorial of the eBook Generator & the
eCover Generator. Neither of these links work & haven't since February
even though I told them repeatedly that they didn't work. Customer support
blamed this on a server transition or something. I think in 3 months I
could fix a link that was broke if I knew about it. Hell, I could learn
HTML, put up a web site & THEN fix the link in 3 MONTHS! Calm down Rex,
don't blow a gasket...OK I'm better now.
| Update: 7/10/05 I
notice they have FINALLY solved the broken links to their tutorials by
simply removing them. WOW! Now you HAVE to contact customer
service. Wouldn't it have been easier (& better for the customer)
to just fix the links. Hell, I think the tutorials were even a
great sales tool. But I guess I don't know SQUAT!
By the way. My ebook Generator
purchased 2/6/05 that was supposed to be "fixed in 4 weeks" is "STILL in
Beta test!" Yea right! Over 5 months & counting. Did I
mention this cost me $169.75 & still haven't got to use the ebook
Generator ONCE! WOW! Maybe I can save YOU the aggravation...
I'm just out $170 plus time & frustration. I really SHOULD have
gotten a refund. |
While I found customer support to be
friendly, I hated needing them for EVERY step of the way. I also bought
eCover Generator at the same time (back end product) to get a group price.
The picture of the eBook Generator at the top of the page is created with eCover
Generator I presume. It gave me some problems too so I wanted the
tutorials for BOTH of these products. When the downloads didn't work they
emailed them to me ...no problem. OK so why is it so hard to put them on
the link like they are SUPPOSED to be?
Anyway when I get the tutorial, I see it
doesn't even match the software that I have! Another contact to customer
support to find out that I have the OLD version. Shame on ME for
downloading the old one! I clicked a button & the file came down.
How HARD IS THAT? OK I guess I did it wrong. They sent me the new
eCover Generator & HEY you know what? It works pretty good. I like
it! I did have some suggestions for them on that one too though. I
didn't appreciate that I could design a cover finish it & then couldn't EDIT IT!
If I made the cover & later I saw something wrong, say just a word misspelled
that I needed to fix, I couldn't edit the old one...I had to START OVER!
WOW. That is because by the time you get it done it becomes a picture &
the OBJECTS that create it are long gone.
Honestly, eCover
Generator II is *OK*. You just have to get it right the FIRST TIME!
Now who am I to tell Armand Morin about
marketing? Nobody. Flat out he is a power on the internet. I
am told he is a really nice fellow & sharp as a tack too. I haven't had
the pleasure of meeting him yet. In fact I know I would have a lot to
learn from him. So don't get me wrong. My gripe is with the PRODUCTS
that I purchased from him & the dog tricks I had to perform to purchase them not with
Armand. To be even more specific, many of my gripes had to do with the web
site, broken links & improper downloads not just the software bugs.
So in conclusion: I can not recommend
the eBook Generator at all. The eCover Generator is OK IF they download
you the right one. You can see from the eCovers at the top of the page it
makes nice ones. But, for me the process was just too painful to recommend.
I found my blood pressure climbing just typing this all in & recalling the
gigantic mess it was to get these two products, one of which I NEVER got to
use.
Ka-Ching! I just saved you $170!
I wish you the best of success.
|
